Display frame or the like



June 7, 1938. M. J. SCHLESS DISPLAY FRAME- OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 6, 1937 IL VENTOR.

BY J 3050,

T RNEYS Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,119,832 DISPLAY FRAME OR THE LIKE Maurice J. Schless, New York, N. Y.

Application January 6,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a display frame or the like for use by merchants inshow windows and show cases wherein jewelry or other merchandise are placed on display to attract the attention of prospective purchasers.

At the present time it is customary to display jewelry such as rings in a show case or show window where it may be viewed during the day and to remove valuable jewelry from the window or show case when the store is closed for the night and thus prevent loss by theft. Removal of the jewelry leaves vacant spaces in the display and spoils the appearance of the window during the evening and night.

Therefore one object of this invention is to provide a display device including a frame and a card removably carried thereby whereby a ring may be supported in the frame with the card as a background during the day and the card or another card substituted therefor serves as an advertising medium when the ring is removed. It will thus be seen that the frame may remain in the show" window with a cheaper ring sub stituted in place of a valuable ring or the frame may be left in the show window with merely a card inserted therein and bearing advertising matter referring to the ring removed or other jewelry sold in the store.

movably mounted in the frame and the frame then set in an upright but slightly inclined position so that the ring may be viewed to advantage by a person standing in front of a display window in which the frame is placed.

Another object of the invention is to so form the frame that a card may be mounted therein bearing data referring to the ring and the ring passed through the card into engagement with ring holding means carried by a backing of the frame.

Another object of the invention is to so form the frame and companion cards that either one or two rings may be displayed, holding means for a second ring being hidden by the card when only one ring is on display and thus providing an attractive display at all times.

Another object of the invention is to provide It will also be obvious that the frame with an advertising card may be' 1937, Serial No. 119,321

the display frame with ring holding means of such construction that the ring may be very easily applied or removed therefrom and when in place be firmly gripped between jaws extending rearwardly from margins of a slot through which-the ring is passed as it is applied to the display frame.

A further object resides in the provision of a ring or other jewelry supporting device in which an element having an opening therein is provided on opposite sides of the opening with resilient coacting jaws to removably grip a ring or other piece of jewelry inserted through said opening.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a display frame which is simple inconstruction, strong and durable and Very attractive in appearance. 7

Still another object of the invention residesin providing a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very efficient in operation.

With these and numerous other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing the improved ring display. frame in front elevation;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the ring display frame; I

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken vertically through the display frame along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view upon an enlarged scale taken vertically through holding means for one ring with the ring shown in elevation and about to be passed through the slot of the frame;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the ring in place and gripped by jaws of the display frame; 7

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a perspective view of when one ring is displayed; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view ofthe cardused when displaying two rings. V V

This display frame may be formed of hard rubber, stiff resilient metal or any other desired material which is rigidenough to be form retaining but at the same time sufficiently resilient horizontally the card used to permit a ring to be firmly gripped by jaws between which the ring is thrust when on display in the frame.

This frame has a stiff back or sheet I of sufficient thickness to impart the desired rigidity thereto. Marginal portions of the frame are thickened so that they project forwardly and provide side flanges 2 and upper and lower flanges 3 and 4 which overhang the front face of the backing as clearly shown in Figure 3. The backing sheet terminates adjacent the inner edge of the upper flange 3, thus providing a slot 5 through which a card 6 may be thrust downwardly into the frame where it will be firmly held flat against the front face of the backing with its side edge portions engaged in the grooves or tracks defined by the side flanges 2 and its lower edge portion overlapped by the lower flange 4 and seated in the groove defined thereby. The upper edge portion projects above the upper end of the backing in order that it may be gripped and the card drawn upwardly out of place when it is desired to remove a card and substitute another. There has also been provided a space or slot 1 at the lower end of the backing through which a pin or finger nail may be passed to assist in shifting the card upwardly. Props 8 extend rearwardly from the lower portion of the frame and extend longitudinally thereof at opposite sides of the rear face of the backing as shown in Figures 2 and 3 and referring to these figures it will be seen that the props are stepped inwardly towards their upper ends and reduced in thickness towards their rear edges to add to the appearanceof the frame and prevent them from showing too prominently when the frame is viewed from a position to one side thereof. 'Lower ends of the props terminate upwardly from the lower edge of the frame and therefore when the frame is set inan upright position upon a support 9 which may be a portion of a show window the frame will rest upon the rear ends of lower edge faces of the props and the frame will be disposed at a rearward incline and prevented from tilting forwardly and falling over. This also disposes the frame at such an angle that a person standing in front of a show window may have a good view of a ring If) displayed in-the frame.

In order'to permitthe ring. to be applied to the display frame and securely but removably held, there has been provided slots H and companion upper and lower jaws l2 and [3 extending rearwardly from the backing l aboveand-below the slots. These jaws are formed integral with the backing sheet and have a slight resilience, being curved slightly longitudinally and transversely and converge towards their rear ends'so that the confronting flat faces I l formed about the arcuate marginal edges of the jaws as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 will .bespaced from each other a distance less than the thickness of the ring. By this arrangement the ring can be thrust through the slot I! and rearwardly between the. upper and lower jaws, and during this'movement the ring will be forced between the marginal portions of the jaws until it reaches the position shown in Figure '5 in which the rear portion of the ring will lee-disposed between the flat faces l4 and firmly. gripped by the jaws. .Therefore the ring will be firmly held in place but can be easily removed when it is desired to substitute another ring for one previously placed on display in a show window. The card 6 may be formed with either one or two slots [5 according 'to whether one or two rings are to be displayed and from an inspection of Figure 1 it will be seen that when only one ring is displayed in the frame the second slot ll formed through the back I of the frame will be covered and concealed from view by the card. The card may have printed thereon the name of the stone in the ring and the selling price may also be either printed or written upon the front face of the card. By having the card inserted into the frame through the slot 5 at the top thereof the card may be easily withdrawn and another substituted when two rings are to be displayed instead of the one shown in Figure 1. When the card is in place its marginal portions are overlapped by flanges of the frame and the card will be firmly held in place. As the slots of the card register with the slots of the backing I the rings may be inserted or removed without disturbing the card. While provision has only been made for two rings it is to be understood that the frame and cards may be provided with as many slots and cooperating jaws as desired.

Use of the device for displaying rings has been emphasized but it is desired to call attention to the fact that its use is not restricted to display of rings as it may be used for displaying other jewelry having portions of such dimensions that they may be passed through the slots of the cards and the backing of the frame or cards alone bearing advertising matter or ornamented in an attractive manner may be slid into the frame through the upper slot 5 into the frame where they will be attractively set off by the frame and conceal the slots formed in the backing. It will thus be seen that the frame will be found very useful by merchants for displaying rings and other jewelry and as a frame for holding advertising cards.

While I. have shown and described a display frame, particularly adapted for use in displaying rings and advertising or merchandise cards for use in connection therewith or for use in connection with other merchandise, it will be understood that the use is not limited thereto. The frame is equally well adapted for the display of other merchandise which may be inserted in a slot in the back of a frame or said frame may be utilized to display photographs, prints or other pictorial illustrations. Naturally, when used for the display of prints, photographs or other illustrations, the slots and the projections forming the jaws in the rear of the frame perform no useful functions. It is also to be understood that one of the important features of my invention is the production of a ring carrier or other jewelry supporting member with coacting resilient jaws projecting from opposite sides or portions of a slot or cut out portion in the member and I do not wish to be limited in the application of this feature to a frame such as illustrated in the drawing herein, as this structure is equally well adapted to use and application in connection with'supporting elements or members of an entirely different structure, conformation and design.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved device, the operation thereof and the method of applying the same to use will be readily understood. It will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive andefficient means for carrying out the objects of the invention and while I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of coninvention, what is concavo-convexed formation with their concaved 1 faces disposed inwards and formed with flat confronting surfaces about their margins in close proximity to each other whereby a ring of a thickness adapting it to be passed freely through the slot but greater than the distance between the said edge portions of the jaws may be gripped between the flat faces of the jaws.

2. In a display device, a frame having a backing formed with a ring receiving slot, and companion jaws extending rearwardly from said backing at opposite sides of the slot, said jaws being of a concavo-convexed formation with the concaved faces disposed inwards and being formed of resilient material and converging towards their free rear ends and having their marginal edge portions spaced from each other a distance less than the thickness of a ring whereby a ring passed through the slot may be forced rearwardly between the spaced marginal edges of the jaws and gripped between the same.

3. In a display device, a frame having a backing formed with a ring receiving slot, and companion jaws extending rearwardly from said backing at opposite sides of said slot, said jaws being resilient and being of a concavo-convexed formation with their concaved faces disposed inwards in confronting relation to each other, said jaws converging rearwardly and formed with arcuate rear edges, confronting inner faces of the jaws having their arcuate marginal portions formed with. flat surfaces for gripping a ring passed through the slot and forced between the flat marginal surfaces of the inner faces of the aws.

4. In a jewelry supporting member, a body having an opening therein and coacting slightly resilient jaws of concavo-convexed formation having their concaved faces disposed inwards, said jaws extending from said body on opposite sides of said opening in converging relation to each other for removably gripping an element inserted through said opening.

MAURICE J. SCHLESS. 

